MLB Betting: Reds at Nationals Odds

By Steven Wisner

If your favorite baseball team isn’t playing tonight, make the games more interesting by betting on MLB odds at BookMaker Sportsbook! This is the only online wagering outlet that offers early MLB moneylines, runlines and totals. First pitch for the game between the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals is scheduled for Saturday, July 2, 2016, at 7:15 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. The matchup will be televised regionally on FOX.

In a battle of one the league’s best teams against one of the worst, the Nationals host the Reds in the third game of a four game weekend set in the Nation’s capital, looking to further distance itself from a dismal losing streak.

Seven straight losses was enough to get Washington fans and bettors on edge last week, but the Nationals have bounced back in recent games winning three straight heading into Wednesday night.

Even with the recent losses providing some uncertainty, the Nationals are still the better bet in this game given their 46-32 overall record and $357 total money. Their opposition, the Reds, have the league’s second worst record and have the worst total moneyline at -$1,428.

Following a sweep at the hands of the Cubs thanks to a loss on Wednesday, the Reds enter their series with the Nationals having lost three straight and seven of their last eight games. To make matters even worse, they’ve won just three of their last 14 games.

PROBABLE PITCHERS

In an effort to get the team back in the win column, the Reds will turn to 27-year old right-hander Dan Straily to take the mound on Saturday.

Straily put up a strong showing in his first full season in the big leagues, going 10-8 with a 3.96 ERA in 27 starts for the A’s in 2013. Since then, however, he’s struggled to establish himself and stick in the majors, bouncing around a number of franchises.

Here in 2016, he’s found himself with a Reds’ team willing to give him a chance since they’re rebuilding. He hasn’t exactly grabbed the opportunity by the horns, but has done well enough to hold onto a starting spot for now.

In 17 games, including 14 starts, he’s 4-5 with a 4.38 ERA and 1.257 WHIP. He’s pitched 88 1/3 innings and only allowed 71 hits. That’s not bat, but he’s made up for it with an inflated 4.1 walk per nine inning ratio. He’s also given up 11 bombs.

His last three games haven’t been a picture of consistency either—or rather they have, but not the good kind. In those games, he’s pitched just 14 total innings, allowing 17 runs on eight walks, 19 hits and three home runs.

In his career, Straily has faced the Nationals only one time, going seven innings and giving up two runs.

Opposite of Straily, the Nationals will turn to a talented young right-hander who so far has been able to follow up a strong rookie season with an even stronger sophomore campaign.

The 23-year old Joe Ross is 7-4 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.222 WHIP in his 90 innings of work, spanning 15 starts. He’s allowing a few more hits than Straily, but has had fewer leave the part and has done a much better job limiting free passes.

In his last start, Ross did snap a series of three straight quality starts, but he still managed to give the team six innings and get the win in the process.

LIVE BETTING

The pitching matchup favors the young gun in Washington, but the differentiation doesn’t end there.

When we look past the starters to the bullpens, there’s a disturbing number that pops out for the Reds. Their bullpen has a 6.08 ERA as a unit. That’s more than a full run higher than the next worst team. It’s nearly double the National’s 3.12 bullpen ERA which ranks second in the National League and fourth in all of baseball.

Outside of Tony Cingrani and Blake Wood—each of which still have WHIPs of 1.358 and 1.461 respectively—there’s nobody the Reds can count on to pitch after their starters.

Offensively, the Reds could keep up with most teams, but not when the bullpen continues to give the runs right back.

QUICK PICK

The Reds have some quality hitters in their order including Adam Duvall and Jay Bruce who’ve combined to hit 38 home runs. Add in a quality offensive shortstop in Zack Cozart and Joey Votto, who even in a down year has a .804 OPS and you can at least count on some runs from Cincinnati.

Look for them to be able to get a few across the plate against Ross and company, but unfortunately for the Reds a few is, well, a few too few.

The Nationals’ offense isn’t stacked top-to-bottom, the team has holes, but against a porous bullpen and a lackluster starter that’s okay. Bryce Harper is still one of the game’s top talents and there’s enough around him with Anthony Rendon, Daniel Murphy and Jayson Werth to get plenty of runs and overtake the Reds on Saturday.